Michelle A. Minyard-Widmann

Michelle A. Minyard-Widmann is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Counseling and Family Sciences at Loma Linda University, where she also serves as Director of the Child Life Specialist MS Program. She holds an MS in Child Development/Child Life from the University of La Verne (1995) and certifications in National Bereavement Facilitator II (2000) and Child Life Specialist (1999). Her expertise includes child development, stress management in healthcare settings, grief counseling, and program development.

She has held significant roles in professional organizations such as the Association of Child Life Professionals (ACLP), including chairing the Awards Committee (2023-2024), co-chairing the Graduate Accreditation Task Force (2013-2019), and contributing to exam development for the Child Life certification. Her presentations include topics like ethical considerations for child life professionals (2023) and post-COVID behavioral health trends (2021).

Community engagement activities include supervising support groups for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) families, pediatric brain tumor patients, and diversity initiatives. She has been actively involved in local PTA and Girl Scout leadership roles since 2012.